And in Death, Silence
by joelcoxriley
Summary: The Dark Brotherhood is renowned for their passion for death. But how does the guild fair when the bodies of those dead rise up and feast upon the living?


**This was completely out of boredom that this story was uploaded. It was Rileyjuline's idea and Corvus belongs to her while Shealyne belongs to me. I just wrote it.**

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"Hello, Corvus." Shealyne greeted, smiling softly as her fellow Silencer met up with her just outside the meeting place. Corvus locked eyes with the woman and nodded once in greeting before walking into the cave, Shealyne following close behind.

The pair walked deeper into the cave until the the cave opened up into a small cavern, dim flames from the torches illuminating the rocky landscape, casting shadows dancing on the walls. Inside the cavern stood at least six members of the Blackhand. In the middle stood Ungolim, the Listener, flanked by his Speakers, a single member standing off to the side in the shadows.

"You are late." Lucien called to his Silencer, Shealyne gulping, slightly fearful. "I-I am sorry, Speaker." Shealyne managed, Banus smiling at seeing his Silencer return, Corvus taking his place next to the Dark Elf's side.

"Enough. We have wasted enough time so as it is. Let us begin." Ungolim spoke, his voice soft yet stern as Alval scoffed.

"And this is Cheydinhal's best? Lucien is losing his ability to pick out members with _real_ talent." Alval hissed, Lucien narrowing his eyes darkly at the Dunmer, Alval not backing down as he locked eyes with the Imperial.

"Need I remind you, _Brother_, that a former assassin from the Cheydinhal Sanctuary is _your_ Silencer. As well as two other members within the Blackhand." Lucien growled lowly, the tension in the air growing thick.

"Yes, and I'm truly surprised he hasn't expired already." Alval snorted, glancing towards his Silencer, the man staying in the shadows. Shealyne didn't even notice he was there. She glanced at Corvus. Either the Redguard knew the other Silencer was standing there the whole time or he wasn't showing his surprise. Knowing Corvus he probably didn't care either way.

"You would be a fool to underestimate Bellamont, Dear Brother. Cheydinhal is one of our most promising Sanctuaries." Arquen added, Alval looking like he was slapped in the face.

"You dare say this filth-"

"Silence!" Ungolim roared, the room falling silent, all eyes turning to their Listener, anger in his voice. "Do you forget, my Brothers and Sisters, why you are all here? The very existence of the Dark Brotherhood in is pearl and all you even _think_ of is to bicker among yourselves like children?!"

"N-No, Dearest Listener! Th-That is not-"

"Need I remind you, _Speaker_, that you _do not_ speak unless spoken to?" Ungolim hissed with such venom that Arquen visibly paled. Arquen was the youngest and by far inexperienced Speaker. The Silencers probably had more sense than to know when to speak.

Shealyne's eyes reflected a soft shade of red in the dim light, watching her Speaker obediently for any signs of an order. Briefly, Lucien's eyes met his Silencer's, and a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, Shealyne showing her fangs in her own smirk. It was like they could practically read each other's minds. Almost like they were one mind in two bodies. She guested it was the bond a Speaker normally developed with their Silencer.

Arquen shrunk into herself, fearful of her Listener and embarrassed in front of her fellow members. She could even feel the victorious glare and smirk coming from Alval and the synthetic look from Banus.

"The Night Mother has spoken of a shadow threatening to engulf all of Tamriel! A Shadow...darker than the Void itself! A threat that possesses such death and suffering that no Dremora Lord can dare to accomplish! For this threat does not come from the Imperial Legion-from Adamus Phillida and his dogs! It does not come from the deepest realms of Oblivion-from any of the Dremora! My Brothers and Sisters, this threat comes from the very dead themselves!" Ungolim cried, the room going so quiet even the wind could be heard blowing softly in and out of the cave.

Corvus raised an eyebrow, silently questioning the sanity of his leader, hearing Alval scoff on the other side of the cavern.

"With all due respect, Listener...is this _really_ why you have brought us out here in the middle of nowhere? To speak of this ludicrously deranged rambling of dead taking over us? This must be a joke!"

"You have not seen what I have, Alval!" Ungolim screamed, his voice hurting Shealyne's ears as she flinched, Lucien void of emotion as he stared intently at their Listener.

"You have lost your mind, Ungolim! Listen to what you speak of! The dead taking over? The dead cannot walk! Not by themselves! They-"

"I saw them! I saw them coming upon our world like locusts-crashing down! Doing nothing but killing and feeding upon the flesh of the living!" Ungolim screamed shrilly, fear in his voice, taking a few deep breaths before calming down. "You have not seen what I have seem. You have not heard what I have heard. Of all the death and suffering you have seen...nothing can compare to what I have seen...what we all will see."

The room fell into silence again, Shealyne gulping as she felt her fear rise. Poor Guilbert...that man was terrified of the walking dead. Thinking back, Shealyne regretted playing a prank on her husband that involved a summoned headless zombie. The poor man almost had a heart attack.

Shealyne shivered slightly, feeling a pair of eyes on her. She knew who it was, though she had never interacted with the man. She only knew Mathieu Bellamont by name. Today was the first time she was even meeting half the members of the Blackhand.

The whole group was obviously startled by their leader's stress. Some, of course, were more easier to read than others.

"Prepare yourselves." Ungolim ordered softly, some members unsure of their Listener's orders. Maybe he had finally gone insane? "For this threat may not only tell the end of the Dark Brotherhood...but the end of our age." Ungolim warned, his voice serious, yet oddly hollow as he walked out of the small cavern.

"Well...that was...enlightening." Banus muttered softly, as if unsure of himself, his frown quickly turning into a large grin. "Do you know what this means, Corvus?"

"No, Sir." Corvus answered, his eyebrow rising at the sudden excitement in his Speaker's voice.

"It means we get to stock up on weapons! And poisons and armor! Oohhh, imagine all the new equipment we will get! Hahahaha! We will soon know a new meaning of endless suffering in the Void!" Banus cheered, Arquen looking confused as she watched the young Dunmer leave, Corvus following behind the ecstatic man.

"Hmmmm. I can't believe this foolishness!" Alval cried, his hands flailing dramatically about, as if he were about to cast a spell. "The walking dead! Blah!"

Lucien watched as his fellow Speaker left, Arquen clearing her throat almost awkwardly.

"Well...I best be off. The Listener would never lie about something as grave as this." Arquen spoke, the woman hurrying to leave lest she embarrass herself further.

"Is...there anything you would ask of me, Lucien?" Shealyne asked, awaiting her Speakers response as the Imperial shook his head.

"No, Dear Sister. If what the Listener says is true then we must prepare." Lucien stated, Shealyne's fear growing.

"You believe him?"

"Our Listener has brought us this far. Though I am slightly skeptical I see no reason as to why Ungolim would act in such a way without cause." Lucien spoke, his deep voice calming his Silencer some.

"I...understand." Shealyne muttered, Lucien silently turning to leave, the man simply disappearing like a shadow. She never knew how he did it.

Shealyne took the time to look around the cavern, noticing she wasn't alone. Alval's Silencer never left. Odd.

Shealyne shifted slightly, pretending to look at a crack in the wall. She could feel the man's eyes on her. As if studying her. It was awkward.

Shealyne's ears perked up as she heard the man mutter something. It was soft, almost like the man was speaking to himself. But she heard it. He undoubtedly directed his comment to her.

"You are like an unholy vision. So beautiful."

Shealyne felt her face become usually hot. She wasn't expecting something like that. Especially directed towards her. Still, despite how out of place the comment was it was obviously intended as a compliment. She couldn't help but feel oddly...flattered. He had made a bold move. A very bold move.

"I...thank you." Shealyne muttered softly, unsure what to say. She wasn't used to compliments. She tended to keep others as far away as possible in fear of her vampirism. The members of the Dark Brotherhood were certainly a strange bunch. They were some of the few that were openly willing to talk to a vampire. At least some were. This man was obviously one of them. Unless he couldn't tell.

"Have you acquired the...'dark gift',was it, from Vicente? I believe that is what he called it." Mathieu asked, approaching the woman slightly.

"No. I 'acquired' my disease before I met any member within the Dark Brotherhood." Shealyne answered, her guard suddenly up. "What do you seek?"

"You need not fear me, Sister. I am merely just curious."

"Of what?" Shealyne asked. Something about this man seemed off. She wasn't sure what to think of him. One second he was complimenting her and the next he was asking questions that were none of his business. "Or whom?"

Mathieu laughed softly, the dim light illuminating his features.

"Perhaps you will find out. Perhaps you won't. Either way, we will all suffer a trial of death...only to be cleansed by a pyre of fire." The man grinned, humming softly to himself before turning to leave, leaving Shealyne dumbfounded. It seems Ungolim wasn't the only insane one.

Shealyne waited several minutes before making her way out of the cave. She didn't want to meet up with that man again. He frightened her. Still, she couldn't let the strange man and his words bother her. If what Ungolim said was true her family would need her. Both her blood family and her guild family.


End file.
